Listen Live
Pause
Sorry, no results.
Please try another keyword
Helena was born in the mid-third century in either Greece or Britain, and gave birth to her only son, the future Emperor Constantine, in the year of Our Lord 274. She was a late convert to Christianity. Though her husband left her for a more politically advantageous marriage, Helena and her son Constantine were very close, and when Constantine became Roman Emperor, he named his mother as Empress. He also granted her whatever funds she desired from the imperial treasury to fulfill her plans to locate major Christian relics. The Empress led a long pilgrimage throughout the Holy Land, building many churches and chapels at important locations from the life of Our Lord. Around the year of Our Lord 326 or 327, just outside Jerusalem, the Empress unearthed the sites of Calvary and the Holy Sepulchre, along with the remains of three crosses. Helena had a dying woman brought to the site, and upon touching the True Cross the woman was healed. This Finding, or “Invention”, of the Holy Cross is traditionally celebrated on May 3rd. As generous to the poor as she was in honoring the sacred sites of the Holy Land, Helena died not long after the Finding of the Cross.
AT Palestrina, the birthday of the holy martyr Agapitus. Although only fifteen years of age, as he was fervent in the love of Christ, he was arrested by order of the emperor Aurelian, and scourged a long time. Afterwards, under the prefect Antiochus, he endured more severe torments, and being delivered to the lions by the emperor’s order without receiving any injury, he was finally struck with the sword, and thus merited his crown.
At Rome, during the persecution of Diocletian, the blessed John and Crispus, priests, who charitably buried the bodies of many saints, and afterwards becoming partakers of their merits, they deserved the joys of eternal life.
In the same city, the holy martyrs Hernias, Serapion, and Polyaenus. Being dragged through narrow, stony, and craggy places, they yielded up their souls to God.
In Dalmatia, the holy martyrs Florus and Laurus, stonecutters, who, after the martyrdom of Proculus and Maximus, their employers, were subjected to many torments under the governor Licion, and plunged into a deep well.
At Myra, in Lycia, the holy martyrs Leo and Juliana.
At Metz, in France, St. Firmin, bishop and confessor.
At Rome, on the Lavican road, St. Helena, mother of the pious emperor Constantine the Great, who was the first to set the example to other princes of protecting and extending the Church.
At Monte-Falo, in Umbria, blessed Clare, virgin, nun of the Order of Augustinians, in whom the mysteries of our Lord’s passion were renewed, and are venerated with the greatest devotion. Pope Leo XIII solemnly added her to the list of holy virgins.
℣. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
℟. Thanks be to God.